Drivers going faster on Beach Boulevard

Feb. 16, 2011

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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As night falls over Huntington Beach car lights streak through the intersection at Beach Blvd. and Edinger Ave, one of busiest intersections in Orange County. Seven of the ten busiest intersections in the county are on Beach Blvd. LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Cars pass through the intersection at Beach Blvd. and Bolsa Ave. in Westminster. The intersection is one of the busiest in the county. LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Cars whiz by Berumen Farms at at 14482 Beach Blvd., in Westminster. LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

As night falls over Huntington Beach car lights streak through the intersection at Beach Blvd. and Edinger Ave, one of busiest intersections in Orange County. Seven of the ten busiest intersections in the county are on Beach Blvd.LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Watch a video of a test drive up the new and improved Beach Boulevard commute:

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Driving along busy Beach Boulevard, with its numerous car dealerships and theme parks, might seem more free-flowing these days.

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Commuters are stopping less and traveling at a faster rate, thanks to signal synchronization, officials say.

Completed in November, the $1.3-million Beach Boulevard signal synchronization project coordinated more than 70 traffic signals - increasing travel speeds for commuters up to 19 percent, decreasing travel times up to 16 percent and reducing the number of stops up to 38 percent, according to the Orange County Transportation Authority.

"With 84,000 vehicles traveling along stretches of Beach Boulevard everyday, this allows more vehicles to travel farther in less time, without major new road construction," said OCTA Chair Patricia Bates.

Officials say signal synchronization helps reduce stop-and-go traffic patterns and improve travel flow by coordinating green lights for a series of signals. When implemented, drivers can often pass through a number of green lights before stopping.

"You'll stop from time to time but you should stop significantly less," said OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnik.

Zlotnik said when commuters are driving too fast or too slow, there's a better chance they will hit red lights.

"What you want to do is be traveling at the same speed that the pack is," Zlotnik said.

Beach Boulevard, running north-south through most of Orange County, is one of the main connections between north Orange County and the beach communities of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. It spans almost 23 miles from Pacific Coast Highway to Whittier Boulevard in La Habra.

From Pacific Coast Highway to Imperial Highway, Beach Boulevard is considered a Smart Street – a road with synchronized traffic signals, added lanes and bus turnouts.

The Beach Boulevard project is part of the Traffic Light Synchronization Program that targets 153 miles of arterials and 533 signalized intersections. The program is funded through Proposition 1B – a $20 million measure earmarked for transportation projects – and Measure M, a half-cent sales tax.

Synchronizing work is under way at Orangethorpe Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Edinger Avenue, and El Toro Road.

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